The Bug
by Absolution
Summary: When Relena comes down with the flu, Heero finds himself catching a different sort of bug. One-shot


Well, everyone's at the Homecoming Week Opening Ceremonies, and where am I? At my dorm, reaffirming my eligibility for membership in the Don't-Got-A-Date Club. To cheer myself up, I have decided to post this story I wrote for _Blissful Ignorance_ about a girl who's having better luck than I am. Oh, and I also baked myself some cinnamon rolls.

  


Disclaimer: I own exactly nothing. Not even my rolls anymore, because I ate them.

  


I got the idea for this while reading a Ronin Warriors fic called "Fire and Fever" by Vulcanis, so . . . thanks, V-dawg.

  


Pairing: 1xR

  


Rating: G

  
  
  
  


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The Bug

  


by Eienvine

  
  
  
  


"Man, you are so lucky. You never get sick!"

  


Heero Yuy looked at his bedridden companion and smirked. "Strong constitution."

  


Duo scowled and folded his arms, spitting his thermometer out onto his bed. "It's so unfair! A flu bug takes down the whole city, and you're still fine. How do you do it?"

  


Heero shrugged. "I eat well and get enough sleep."

  


Duo sat up. "I do that, too!" he insisted, to which Heero replied, "And I avoid close contact with people who are possibly contaminated. Hilde had it before you, right? You probably caught it from kissing her."

  


With a sigh, Duo lay back down and pulled the covers over his head. "You'll get yours, Henry Higgins," he groaned. "Someday you'll get ill, and I will be there to laugh!"

  


Heero raised an eyebrow, then walked out of the room. "Not very likely."

  
  
  
  


The flu bug had indeed swept the whole city, infecting everyone from the milkman to the Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Dorlian. Relena had a particularly bad case and was resting, as she had been for the past week, in her bedroom in the spacious Peacecraft mansion.

  


With a groan, the young politician flopped on her side, then threw her covers off. It was simply impossible to get comfortable in her ill state. She was too nauseous to move and too weak to stand, and fiery darts of pain were shooting through her skull. Waves of heat swept over her, making her cast off her covers; then the heat was gone, and she was left cold and shivering, desperately trying to pull her covers back on.

  


A sudden, terrible headache hit her, and she looked urgently for her bell, desperate to ask Pagan to bring her some pain relievers. Before she could find it, though, a figure blocked her view of her dresser. Forcing her bleary eyes to focus, Relena looked up to see her bodyguard, Heero, standing in front of her, his hand outstretched. "I thought you might want to take something for the pain," he said monotonously.

  


Relena looked down quickly, glad her high fever would hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. She knew that he had access to her room and had undoubtedly seen her in all degrees of dress and disarray, but she still felt horribly embarrassed that he was seeing her in her nightgown, with her hair tousled, eyes red and face flushed.

  


Her eyes still on her bedspread, she managed to croak out, "I though you were staying away from me so you wouldn't get sick."

  


"I'm always watching you," he replied. "And it looked like you had a headache."

  


Relena looked up quickly and saw that he was still holding out the pills and a glass of water. Embarrassed, she sat up and took the pills, ignoring the tingling sensation she felt when her fingertips brushed the palm of his hand.

  


She looked away from his handsome blue eyes as she washed the capsules down, her face still glowing. The blush said it all: although she'd tried to stop herself many times, she was still deeply in love with Heero. _What a thought_, she said to herself. _In love with my bodyguard! _It was especially ridiculous to be in love with a man so serious and oblivious as he.

  


After drinking the rest of the water, she handed the cup back to Heero, expecting him to take it and leave, the way he always did. To her surprise, he placed the cup on the dresser and turned back to her with something like concern in his eyes. "Are you doing all right?" he asked.

  


To anyone else, she would have replied, "Do I look like I'm doing all right?!" With him, though, she just gaped. Was Heero actually standing in her room, making polite conversation? Unheard of! Looking back over all the years they'd fought together and he'd been her bodyguard, she couldn't remember him ever coming to her just to chat.

  


Heero was still looking at her, and with a start she realized she hadn't answered. "Yes, I'm fine," she blurted out. Then she amended, "Well, I've been better." Heero looked amused at her answer.

  


She tried to smile at him, but a sudden feeling of lightheadedness from sitting up too long swept over her, and she swayed, unable to hold herself up any longer. In an instant, a pair of strong arms caught her, and she looked up through the stars in front of her eyes to see Heero looking down at her. "All right, hn?" he asked in his low voice, and she blushed yet again.

  


Embarrassed at her own weakness, Relena started struggling up into a sitting position, but found herself still held by Heero. "Don't overdo it," he said. Then, to her shock and secret delight, he slid her over and sat next to her on the bed, his arms still holding her up. Before she could go into fits of rapture, though, he said, "Don't want you to fall out of bed," effectively ruining the moment.

  


Relena fully intended to feel put out, but his next movement effectively banished all such thoughts from her head. Scooting her frail body even further over, he kicked off his shoes and swung his feet up on the bed. Then, leaning back against the headrest, he tightened his hold around her, pulling her body to his so her back was laying against his chest.

  


She immediately stiffened. Could this really be happening? _Oh, well, _she thought. _If this is a dream, then it's a good one_, and, relaxing into his embrace, she let her head fall back onto his strong chest.

  


He suddenly spoke, breaking into her reverie. "I'm sorry you're sick," he murmured, and she smiled sleepily. "Thanks."

  


It was the first time she'd been comfortable all week. She was so tired, and the slow movement of his chest was so relaxing . . . she could almost . . . fall asleep . . .

  
  
  
  


Having guarded her for so long, Heero could tell the exact moment Relena fell asleep. Gazing down at her still form, he let a tiny smile twist the corner of his mouth.

  


Then his face turned serious. He shouldn't be here. He knew that. Sitting on her bed, holding her until she fell asleep, was definitely not one of his duties. What if her brother came in and saw them? _And,_ said the logical part of his brain, _you promised yourself not to act on your feelings for her- to protect her. Remember that?_

  


He remembered that, of course, but it was a lot easier to pretend he could stop loving her while he was sitting in his room, alone. The feeling of her body against his was quickly driving away all thoughts of ignoring his heart.

  


Glancing down at Relena, Heero shook his head in annoyance at himself. He'd honestly only intended to give her the pain relievers, but then he saw the way she was hurting . . . and the next moment, he was on the bed, holding his sleeping charge in his arms, her body nestled against his. He kept telling himself that his actions were just to make her more comfortable, but he knew in his heart that his sudden solicitude was not caused by his sense of duty as her bodyguard. His actions were those of a man in love.

  


It was ridiculous, of course, to believe that the way she unconsciously curled into his arms was any indication of feelings for him. Though she had cared for him once, he had refused to acknowledge his feelings for her, and he was sure that, like any sensible creature, she had stopped loving him.

  


No, this moment of intimacy, Heero was sure, sprang from her being ill and delirious. By the time her illness was gone, she would have forgotten all about it, and they would go back to being the way they were. The thought disappointed him, but he was well trained to hide his emotions. It was simply not his lot in life to be happy in love.

  


For now, he would just enjoy the moment while it lasted. Unconsciously, he rested his cheek against the top of Relena's head and closed his eyes, letting the soft sound of her breathing lull him into sleep.

  
  
  
  


Awareness returned to Relena slowly. The first thing she noticed was that she still felt nauseous and sore, but her headache was gone, so it seemed the pain relievers had worked a little.

  


The next thing she noticed was that she was half-sitting up in bed, feeling incredibly warm and comfortable. It was the first time she'd felt so content in a week, so she kept her eyes closed and let herself revel in the feeling.

  


The final thing she noticed was the source of the warmth. As she lay there, eyes closed, trying to figure out what she was laying on, the thing suddenly shifted. Cracking open one eye, she peered down and saw a strong, tanned arm around her waist. This took a few moments to process, but then she suddenly realized who it was.

  


"Heero!" she said in a half-gasp, half-exclamation, twisting in his arms to look up at his face. Her bodyguard seemed to have been dozing, his face resting against the top of her head. At the sound of her voice, his eyes flew open as he pulled away and stared at her, their faces mere centimeters apart. Relena found her breath coming quicker as she stared into his Prussian blue eyes, and he seemed for the moment to be as transfixed as she.

  


Then, with a quick, decisive movement, he pulled his arms away from her and stood up. "I'm sorry," he said, his back to her, and started pulling on his shoes. Relena pulled herself into a kneeling position on her bed and stared at him, hurt and confusion in her eyes. For that one brief moment, she'd been sure he was feeling the way she was, but now . . . "Don't be sorry!" she found herself exclaiming in frustration. "I'm not!"

  


Heero froze, one shoe dangling from his hand. Slowly, almost painfully, he looked back over his shoulder at her, and Relena felt her heart pound at the expression she saw there. Was that . . . hope?

  


But then Heero looked back at the door, shaking his head. "You're ill," he said flatly. "You don't know what you're saying." He didn't leave, though. Relena gazed at his back, then dropped her eyes to the bed. "I know exactly what I'm saying," she murmured, not expecting him to hear. He did.

  


Slowly, breathlessly, he turned toward her, and the look on his face made even her tired, sluggish blood race. "Relena," he whispered, sounding strained, as though it took all his effort to keep himself standing there. "Heero," she replied, equally quietly, and tentatively reached her hands out to him. He took them just as tentatively, gripping her fingers gently to support her as she stepped off of the bed.

  


They stood, hands clasped, staring at each other, for a long moment. Then, with a sudden movement, Heero stepped forward, his hands still holding hers, and lowered his face to hers.

  


As their lips touched, Relena released his hands in favor of wrapping her own around the back of his neck and running her fingers through his hair. She could feel his lips curve into a smile against hers, and she couldn't help but smile back.

  


They broke apart breathlessly and Heero leaned his forehead against hers, his breath coming quickly and his dark blue eyes staring into hers. "I love you, Relena Dorlian," he whispered hoarsely, and her heart leapt in response. She closed her eyes a moment, overcome by emotion, then opened them again and smiled. "I love you, Heero."

  


The pair stood like that for some time, lost in each other, until Heero leaned forward to kiss her again. Relena smiled and put her arms around the man she loved.

  
  
  
  


Duo Maxwell whistled cheerily to himself as he jogged up the grand staircase of the Peacecraft mansion. The flu epidemic was ending, and it was the first day he'd felt well enough to leave his apartment.

  


The first thing he wanted to do, of course, was visit his good friend Heero, since it had been several days since he'd last seen him. Also, there was a rumor about Heero floating around the Preventers office, and Duo simply had to see if it was true.

  


He reached Heero's bedroom and, as was his habit, barged in without knocking. As he looked around, his gaze fell on the bed, and his jaw dropped.

  


Heero lay there, his face red and flushed, an ice pack on his forehead. His tired blue eyes peered at Duo over the bedspread. When he saw who it was in his room, he pulled the covers over his head and groaned.

  


Feeling a rush of malicious glee, Duo clasped his hands and leaned over the lump in the bed. "Oh, poow wittow bitty Heewo," he simpered, grinning. "Don't even say it, Maxwell," Heero said, his voice muffled by the blanket over his head.

  


Duo laughed delightedly. "So the perfect soldier actually can get sick. But how-" he cut off, his eyes widening. "Don't say it," Heero repeated, but Duo was too amused to stop. "Then what they're saying's true!" he exclaimed. "That's how you got sick."

  


Heero gave a little moan. "It seems," intoned Duo in his best Heero Yuy voice, "that you have caught this flu from making out with Ojou-san. That is why I always eat healthy and-" He was cut off when Heero threw a pillow at him. Duo laughed and threw the pillow back to his sick friend, then walked to the door. "I'll let you sleep now, but- Heero, nice job. It was about time."

  


Heero gave him a death glare, but after the door was shut, he settled back in bed, a smile on his face.

  
  
  
  


fin

  
  
  


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Yay! A sappy little one-shot to brighten your day. This was written in response to fics where two people hook up while one of them is ill. Hello! Infectious diseases! Ha ha. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review!


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